*790,676 Covid-19 vaccine doses administered so far with 25,566 shots given in the past 24 hours

 

The Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) reported on Tuesday 720 new confirmed cases of coronavirus (Covid-19) during the last 24 hours, of which 627 were from community and 93 from travellers returning from abroad.

The MoPH also recorded 412 recoveries from the virus during the past 24 hours, bringing the total number of cases recovered in Qatar to 163,684.

The ministry reported three new deaths of patients aged 43, 69, and 57, who were receiving the necessary medical care.

The ministry said some 790,676 Covid-19 vaccine doses have been administered since the start of the national vaccination programme. Of this 25,566 doses have been administered in the past 24 hours.

It said hundreds of people are becoming sick daily due to Covid-19 with many requiring hospital admission to manage their symptoms. Since February 1, the number of Covid patients admitted to hospital has doubled.




The MoPH said Qatar's strict quarantine policy for returning travellers has enabled it to delay the introduction of new variants into this country for several months but it is now seeing positive Covid-19 cases in the region and in Qatar with the new variants from the United Kingdom.

"This new variant is much more contagious and spread more easily between people than the existing strain and may be associated with increased severity of disease."

The ministry said the Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna vaccines being used in Qatar's vaccination programme are effective against the new variants.

The pace of the vaccination programme is holding out hope of a gradual return to normal for people in Qatar as well as around the world in the next few weeks or months.

The MoPH said Covid-19 will continue to be a threat to health for the majority of 2021 and until all eligible members of the population are vaccinated, one must continue to follow the preventive measures.

With the recent increase in the number of Covid-19 cases in Qatar, it is important for everyone to play their role in controlling the virus by following precautionary measures:

*Adherence to physical distancing.

*Avoiding close contact with others, crowded places and confined closed spaces where other people congregate.

*Wearing a face mask.

*Washing hands regularly.

Anyone suffering from Covid-19 symptoms should contact 16000 helpline immediately.

This is important as the earlier the disease is detected the easier it will be to receive the right treatment and recover from it.

One may visit the MoPH website for regular updates and new information.